The End of Nothing

Chapter 5

Silas shuffled out of her way as she pushed the power button, the machine giving a loud groan before giving way to the sound of grinding coffee and machinery. She could feel Silas and Bernie hovering, well, more Silas hovering and Bernie squeaking, as he tested out the wheels of his new wheelchair, seeing if he could drift.

Finishing up with the cup for Minnie, adding three sugars, as she told her she liked it, she pushed the mocha button for her Mom's coffee. The machine gave a large shutter, the power light going out.

"Great," said a resigned Margie, thinking about how she would now have to go to the coffee shop down the street.

"Wait now, I'm always up for helping a damsel in distress," Silas gave her a wink as he examined the machine, before giving the side a strong hit with the side of his closed fist. The machine spurred to life, as if jolted awake.

"Magic touch," Margie said sarcastically, "my hero." Silas just grinned at her as she moved to retry the mocha button. This time the sound of grinding coffee was heard again, but no liquid coming out of the spout. Deciding she was going to handle the job herself, Margie gave the side of the machine a strong pat.

The machine jolted again, lights going out, before awakening with renewed vigor, unleashing a downpour of chocolate-flavored lukewarm coffee onto Margie and the surrounding floor. With a curse, Margie tried to cover the spout, hoping to stop the coffee spewing out of the machine. In the process she managed to slip on the floor coffee, sending her sprawled out under the machine, coffee continuously raining down on her, getting into her hair and all over her clothes.

She glanced over and Bernie and the small crowd of elderly nursing home residents that had gathered around, some looking at her with concern, but most, like Bernie, doubled over with laughter. Deciding to seize the moment, since she liked coffee enough anyway, Margie started making coffee-angels on the floor, her arms and legs sweeping wide, coffee soaking into her clothes, a smile on her face. This sent the crowd into greater hysterical laughter, Margie joining in too, her laugh bubbly and warm. She looked over her head and saw Silas standing in the same spot, the coffee waterfall landing on his shoes and pants, shaking his head, a large grin on his face.

"What in the world is going on here!" Oh, no caught by Helga. The same nurse that had called Margie that first day after her Mother's accident came marching into the kitchen, a frown on her face. Margie, being in an incriminating position, her arms and legs spread wide in the process of creating a coffee-angel, just paused her limbs and glanced at Helga.

Taking stock of the situation, Helga crossed her arms in a disapproving manner. A mob of weepy from laughter elderly patients gathered around the room, all wiping tears from their eyes, Margie on the floor, very little of her not covered in coffee, Silas off to the side, the lower half of him splattered with coffee stains, and the coffee machine, which still, miraculously, continued with its mocha waterfall, showed no signs of stopping.

"Everyone Out!" Helga thundered. Quickly everyone gathered their things and shuffled, or in Bernie's case, rolled, out of the room.

Silas helped Margie up, trying to hide his grin from Helga, his eyes twinkling with the effort. Grabbing the one surviving coffee, Silas told her he would deliver it to Minnie, and explain to her Mother her situation.

Margie shuttered thinking what story he would spin up, in some respects she bet he was just as bad as Bernie at telling tales, takes one to know one they say.

Slowly, Margie sloshed down the hallway, coffee drips following her path like breadcrumbs.

"Margie," she turned to look at Silas at her name being called. "You may want to steal one of those blankets," he pointed at the plush blankets thrown across the great room couches for aesthetic. "Your shirt id kind of," he motioned with his hand, circling it around his chest.

Glancing down, Margie realized her whole shirt was see through, the purple thin fabric sticking to her torso. With an embarrassed huff, Margie grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around herself, her face turning red with mortification. Once the blanket was secure, she began sloshing down the hallway again, eager to get away from Silas and her embarrassment.

In theory, it should have been a simple errand that her Mom wanted her to run. Operation avoid Silas was definitely a go.

"You join a wet t-shirt contest they didn't tell me about?"

Margie let out a quiet sigh, so close yet so far. Mrs. Wu stood in the doorway of her room, makeup perfectly done, wearing workout clothes straight out of the eighties, leg warmers and all.

"No Mrs. Wu, the coffee machine went haywire."

"Oh, good, coffee wasn't that good anyway." Mrs. Wu stood awkwardly for a few seconds, something obviously on the tip of her tongue. Margie waited, she knew if she just left, Mrs. Wu would just follow her, whether she was getting into the shower or not.

"Thank you for not telling anybody about- how'd you put it? My extracurricular activities." The look on Mrs. Wu's face seemed earnest.

"I'm sorry about the way I treated you, I'm just used to having stick-in-the-mud neighbors, think of it as a sort of initiation." Mrs. Wu's smile hinted at further trouble, but Margie figured she would survive as long as her and Mrs. Wu were getting along.

"No problem Mrs. Wu," a smile passed between them. Margie glanced down at herself.

"If you'll excuse me Mrs. Wu, I've got to clean myself up," Margie said, pulling her sopping wet hair to one side.

"Yes, go, go. Oh, but Margie, I also wanted to invite you to my fitness class. I teach the eighty and up dance class. You know, I used to be a competitive dancer in my day."

Margie eyed Mrs. Wu looking for sincerity, she could see in her eyes she was serious about the invitation. Despite not being in great shape, Margie decided to give it a go. How hard could an eighty and up dance class really be?

"I'd like that." With another smile, the two women parted, Margie finally able to try to get the coffee out of her ears.